Pete's Write

So children's are boring affairs with slow boring performances... not! So I recently went with my wife and kid to watch the Three Billy Goats Gruff, performed by The Singapore Repertory Theatre: https://www.srt.com.sg/show/three-billy-goats-gruff-2025/ This is based on a simple children's book and you might be forgiven for thinking it will be a slow rather dull affair and a painful way to sit through an hour with your kid and you fear the kid will get bored from the show. However nothing could be further from the truth....  Firstly, do sit either close to the stage, eg the first or second row if you like to get up close and personal, or at the circle seats if you prefer a more macro view and say your child has issues with loud noises. I got the former and it suited us fine.  The story is simple and deliberately so for younger audiences to follow. There are elements of the Three Little Pigs, mixed in with a little Bo Peep and but there is a moral behind it, and surprisingly, pl...

The appeal of music, played through a stereo setup, with a pair of good speakers, be it floorstanders or bookshelves with a good source and a solid amplifier, is a nice experience that does not get as much exposure these days with the draw of home theatre. It takes some time to wind down, sit down with a good book or drink, turn the lights down a little and play something that will keep you happy for hours. There has always been a stereo amplifier in my setup, and the day it came to replace the Marantz PM 11S3, which I have been keeping for quite a while, I was at a loss, it was almost like losing a family member. It was also the last of the Reference amplifiers with an analogue power source, and one that had the feedback of their guru, Mr Ken Ishiwata. ( https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2014/04/marantz-pm11s3-review.html ) In my journeys, I have reviewed quite a few amps as replacements, and I had to be particular, as the Dynaudio Confidence Platinum C1 that I use them with do apprecia...

Once upon a time, TV speakers were hefty affairs, which could go to deafening levels, with decent bass and allowed the dialogue to be anchored to the screen. You only went to the home theatre route if you wanted a complete surround experience. Then TV panels became wafer thin, and manufacturers found that they could not pack the speakers of the same volume into the panels to make credible sound for movies and definitely not for music. So the soundbar was born. Initially, you needed to connect this via RCA outputs or digital ones like an optical cable. Things have since progressed, and now you have ARC (Audio Return Channel) and eARC, which uses a single HDMI cable to bring sound to and from the TV. Some use Bluetooth for a wireless connection.  Then you have 3 dimensional sound in the form of Atmos, and it become fashionable to get soundbars with this moniker. But today, we are reviewing a 3 channel soundbar, which can eventually be expanded into a full 5.1 experienc...

Dynaudio is a company that has been in the speaker business for more than forty years and prides itself on making most of its components in house, especially the drivers and most of the cabinetry. Through the years they have developed many beloved components for their top end products and have also distilled them down to the masses whenever they launch a special edition. So they have adopted a similar format and take some of their finest drivers, an Esotar 3 tweeter and a woofer derived from the Evidence range and placed them into a more traditional walnut veneer speaker for us to sample.  Thus the Heritage Special (HS) was born. The catch ? Well there are two.. firstly it’s by no means cheap, even though it uses choice components. Second there are only 2500 pairs so if you’re waiting to get one, don’t ! And that’s the sum of my review if you may. If you’re a Dynaudio afficiando, just plonk down the deposit that had planned for the annual summer holiday and get this instead. Now re...

Some companies produce superb value for money audio equipment whilst others operate at the ethereal end with sky high cost no object materials and equally astronomical price tags.  Cambridge Audio has long been synonymous with value for money and tend to attract the buyer who wants top value for his money.  However for their 50th anniversary they have decide to do their own version of the cost no object tour de force equipment and the result is the Edge Series.  First the blurb from their website : https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/row/en/products/hi-fi/edge/edge-nq "Edge NQ boasts the very latest version of our award-winning streaming module. Designed in-house, right here in the UK, it features a new, faster chipset and support for both 24bit/192kHz and DSD128 files. The addition of Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, AirPlay, Bluetooth aptX HD and Internet radio means you can enjoy your music whatever the source. Roon Ready certification enhances your browsing experience." http...

Why Should A Streamer Be Part Of Your Setup The media of choice in the world of audiophiles was previously used to be dominated by vinyl, then CDs and along the way, we even dabbled with DVD Audio and Blu Rays as well and SACDs. Then come downloads and now music is also streamed. The initial streamers weren't so good, and the content was sparse, resolution was low resulting in rather poor sound quality. These days, the audiophile is faced with a plethora of choices and often they come equipped with good DACs built in, and offer not just Wifi playback of internet radio but also commercial platforms like Tidal and Spotify. In addition most come with Roon and local wireless options like Bluetooth and AirPlay. So a streamer with a DAC can be the nerve centre for the modern home, connecting to the TV for better sound, or a CD player, as well as the streaming options, or simply listening to the internet radio.  So apart from having these, some of the features to look out for are T...

It’s the 110th anniversary of Denon and Covid or not, Denon is determined to have a celebration. They have done so by releasing a series of products, including the AV amplifier the A110. Now depending on where you live, eg in the States, you get the AVR version, and in Europe as well as Asia Pacific, you get the AVC A110, which is the same unit sans the built in tuner. For casual observers, it will bear an uncanny resemblance to their other flagship product, the AVC 8500H. Which I reviewed here: ( http://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2018/02/denon-avc-x8500h-review.html ) Which will remain in production and be upgraded to the HA designation, which means it will be equipped with the HDMI 2.1 board. So with such a close relative costing around 1-2 grand less, what gives? Apart from the change in logo, a new color scheme, how different are they?  First the tech blurb from the official websites: https://www.denon.com/en-gb/shop/avreceiver/avca110    https://www.denon.com/en-us/prod...